Coconut Cake

Coconut Cake

Coconut Cake with French Vanilla Frosting

For Easter, I made Ina Garten's Coconut Cake from her cookbook Barefoot Contessa At Home but instead of using Cream Cheese Frosting, I used French Vanilla Frosting because my nephew wanted that frosting. Either frosting works beautifully, but I prefer French Vanilla. For the filling, I used 1-12 ounce jar of Pineapple Preserves. My family said the cake was so delicious so you should try this cake if you are a coconut fan. Thank you Ina Garten for this incredible recipe.

Coconut Cake just frosted pictured with Ina Garten's recipe

The recipe for the frosting is as follows:
Step One
1 cup Milk
3 tablespoons Flour

In a nonstick pan, make a white sauce of these two ingredients. It will be very thick. Stir regularly to dissolve the flour to prevent lumps and boil for 1 - few minutes. Turn off heat and put aside. Cool completely before incorporating into next step. It will have a paste-like consistency.

My piece of Coconut Cake

Step Two
2 sticks of Unsalted Butter
1 cup of Granulated Sugar
2 1/2 tablespoons of Pure Vanilla Extract

Cream the butter in mixer and then add sugar and vanilla extract, and continue to mix until the ingredients are blended well. Add the cooled white sauce from step one, and beat at high speed for about 5-8 minutes until it is creamy and fluffy. This frosting is enough for a two layer 9-inch cake.

I adapted this French Vanilla Frosting from http://www.cooks.com/rec/view/0,1918,153191-241196,00.html but added more vanilla and had to mix for three more minutes than stated in the recipe. Also, the recipe called for butter which I presumed meant salted butter, but I prefer unsalted butter so I used this (as listed here).

You can get the recipe for Ina Garten's Coconut Cake from a previous blog entry http://twofrys.blogspot.com/2010/09/two-amazing-cakes-that-always-please.html

-Sophia/Two Frys